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Tuesday, 29 April 2014

Wanna learn how to make some simple but striking felt flower brooches?

I used to make and sell lots of these layered corsages in my Etsy shop - they're easy to sew but they make a big impact. My tutorial for making them was published last year in Made in Felt magazine and now I'm sharing it with you, hurrah!

The turquoise brooch in the step-by-step photos was made using a sheet of fair trade handmade felt which is very thick and has a lovely texture, but you can use any craft felt for this project as long as it’s not too soft or thin. 100% wool felt or eco-friendly felt (made from recycled plastic bottles) would both work very well - all these flowers were made with recycled eco felt:

You will need:

A 9 x 12 inch sheet of felt - if you’re using thick handmade felt for your flower, you will also need some craft felt in a matching colour
Matching sewing thread and stranded embroidery thread (floss)
Seed beads (or a button)
A brooch clasp
Sewing scissors, needles and pins

Optional: stiff cardboard, a pencil and some scissors

To make the corsages:

1. Use the templates provided to cut out eight small petals, eight medium petals and eight large petals from your chosen felt colour. Also cut out one small circle and two large backing circles. If you’re using handmade felt for your flower, cut the backing circles from ordinary craft felt - handmade felt is lovely but just too thick to use for backing the brooch.

2. Cut a length of embroidery thread and separate half the strands (so for six stranded thread just use three strands). Or, if you prefer, you can use standard sewing thread.

Use the thread to sew four large petals onto one of the backing circles so they form a cross shape as pictured. Sew a line of stitches along each petal, sewing out from the centre of the circle and then back again, filling in the gaps. Make sure you don’t sew over or right up to the edge of the backing circle as you need to be able to sew around this easily later.

3. Add more layers of petals to construct the flower: one more layer of large petals, then two layers of medium petals and finally two layers of small petals. Each layer is made up of four petals stitched in the same cross shape as before, but in a different position to the last so you end up with evenly spaced petals as pictured.

4. Place the small circle piece in the centre of your flower and sew it in position with an X made of two stitches of matching thread.

Then gradually fill the circle with seed beads, starting in the centre and working outwards. Use a double thickness of sewing thread and one stitch per bead.

5. This step is optional but it will help support the shape of your brooch if you're using very thick felt.

Use the template for the backing circle to draw a circle onto a piece of stiff card. Draw a line about 5mm inside this circle, and cut along that line so you’ve got a circle of card slightly smaller than your original template. Turn your flower over and place the card circle on the back ready for the next step.

6. Sew a brooch clasp onto the second felt backing circle with a double thickness of sewing thread. Place the circle onto the back of the brooch so your card insert (if used) is sandwiched between two circles of felt. Join the edge of the two felt circles together with whip stitch, taking care that the card insert stays in the centre as you sew. Then finish your stitching neatly at the back.

And your brooch is finished!

For a different look, add a button to the centre of your flower instead of a cluster of seed beads. Sew your button in the centre of the petals instead of adding the felt circle and beads in step 4.

To make smaller flowers, print the templates provided at a smaller size or
just miss out the first two layers of large petals and sew a smaller
circle of beads (using the extra small circle template) or a smaller button in the centre.

The smaller flowers can be used as brooches or haircombs. To make a flower comb, just sew a plastic hair comb to the back instead of a brooch clasp.

These flowers also look great when made from pieces of felted woollen jumpers (sweaters)...

... just as with using handmade felt sheets, if you're using recycled sweater felt for your petals you need to use ordinary craft felt for the backing circles.

Click here to view the template sheet in another tab or window. Make sure you're viewing the image at full size, then print it at 100%.

This tutorial is for non commercial use only: you can use it to make as many flower brooches as you want for yourself or as gifts, but
please don't make any for sale. You may borrow a few photos if you want
to blog about this project, but remember to credit me and link back to
the original source, and do not reproduce my entire tutorial on your
site. Thanks!

Enjoyed this free tutorial? Buy me a "coffee" and help support my blog!

Monday, 28 April 2014

I've had a string of deadlines for different projects, one after another, which has been a tad stressful at times but fun too. I can't wait to share the results with you when they're (eventually) all published!

I've squeezed in some Nice Days Out into my busy schedule, which at times has felt a little foolish but was totally worth it. Deadline-heavy months like these are the sort of times in which I used to say "oh, I'm much too busy for a day off!" and just work and work and work until everything was finished. But actually these are exactly the sort of times when I need a proper day off - either a proper sanity-saving break from work or a delightful post-deadline treat before launching into the next project. It's been really wonderful to get out of the office for a bit, to give my brain a rest and stretch my legs instead.

I've also been on a (to me) quite astonishing two trips in as many months. I went to rainy Manchester last month (my first holiday in years and my first ever on my own, which proved rather fun) and to sunny Seville this month (my first non-UK holiday since I was about 15! Which was a while ago!!). These trips were not fantastically well timed with all those deadlines inbetween, and I am now feeling slightly broke, but never mind!

So, this week I will be...

... catching up on all those tasks that have built up while I've been rushing around being busy: tidying my studio, doing little bits of admin, replying to blog comments, doing some laundry, etc
... finally scheduling some making days to work on some slightly neglected personal projects
... working on my flower-themed tutorial for May's link-up (I can't believe May has come around so quickly!)
... and editing lots of holiday snaps so I can blog about both my trips sometime soon :)

Sunday, 27 April 2014

As I mentioned yesterday, I've got a copy of Made by Yourselfto give away to one lucky reader!

Please note: this giveaway is only open to people who live in the UK and Ireland.

Just
leave a comment on this blog post for your chance to win. Leave
your comment before 10pm on Sunday 4th May, and I'll pick the
winner at random on Monday 5th May. I'll then pass the winner's
details to the publishers so they can send out the copy of the book.

Please make sure you leave a name or pseudonym (no anonymous comments
please!) and leave a blog link, Twitter username, Etsy username or
email address so I can contact you.

If I'm unable to contact the winner within a week, I will pick
someone else. If you're leaving a comment with your Blogger profile,
please remember that you need to have your profile set to public & to have a contact email visible for me
to be able to get in touch with you.

Saturday, 26 April 2014

This is a super-stylish hardback filled with 48 projects. The photos and styling are all great (& all done by Peter himself) and check out that yummy neon yellow spine!

Each project is rated by difficulty and cost, from 1 (easy / cheap) to 6 (difficult / expensive) and Peter has also provided an estimated time for each project.

As somone who is a bit of a novice when it comes to home DIY stuff I was pleased to see lots of projects rated 1 or 2 for difficulty. However, each project only includes quite short text instructions (with just a couple of diagrams in the book) so some knowledge of the materials you're using are required. I definitely wouldn't be able to tackle the level 1 woodworking projects with the same confidence as the projects involving card, fabric, paint, etc.

At the back of the book there's a "credits" section, noting where all
the materials and photo-props can be found, and a general stockists
list. It's great to know exactly which bits of IKEA furniture Peter has
decorated or used as props, but the other stockists are a bit pointless
as they're all based in Germany (where the book was originally
published) and I'm not sure that many people buying the UK edition would
go that far to shop for DIY supplies.

If I'm honest there are lots of things in here which look awesome but which I am never ever going to make in a million years, either because I know my making-skills aren't up to it or the materials/tools needed are quite specialist (cutting glass to make a chandelier and turning a quartzite slab into a tray = not the DIY projects for me)... or just because they're a bit too "I've got a minimalist loft sparsely decorated with chic statement pieces" for my taste in home-decor (minimal and chic are words no-one is ever going to use about anywhere I live).

But oh my goodness there so many things in here I really want in my house!

It was hard to just pick a few examples to share with you guys but I especially loved this malachite-effect table (swoon)...

... these faux-metal letters...

... these fun cardboard "vases"...

... and this cushion cover (which is decorated with leather pieces but which I am, of course, imagining made with pieces of wool felt).

If you ooh over chic design blogs and fancy trying your hand at some creative, inspirational projects you'll find lots to love in this book... and the more confident and ambitious you are when it comes to DIY the more you'll be able to make from it.

And - great news - I've got a copy to give away! Check back tomorrow for the giveaway :)

Sarah is the lovely lady who runs Blooming Felt, a shop name you probably recognise as one of my current blog sponsors. I've known Sarah vaguely for years as we were in the same biz (selling felt) for many years and you may remember that we met up earlier this spring for a fab day out in London.

Blooming Felt specialise in wool felt, selling (among other things) those lovely thick handmade felt sheets and shapes, and lots of colourful felt balls/beads. I have to confess that I tend to oooh over these sort of supplies but to not really know what to do with them. I'm so used to just working with thin craft felt, and these chunky shapes are such a different material!

So I was really interested to see this book and to get some inspiration for ways I could use the handmade felt supplies in my stash.

Felt Fantastic contains 26 projects that use a mix of felt sheets, shapes and felt beads... plus other supplies like seed beads, colourful buttons and embroidery floss. They're divided into 4 chapters: Cute for Kids, For the Home, Easy Accessories and Festive Fun.

Some of the projects include more than one design, like the set of of animal masks and this selection of brooches:

All the projects have step by step instructions and sketch-like illustrations to guide you. There are also lots of "further felty ideas" included with suggested variations for each project, which is great. The templates are dotted throughout the book instead of being in one section at the back and most of them do need enlarging, which is a bit of a shame.

The emphasis throughout Felt Fantastic is on fun, colourful, easy-to-make projects (many of which you can make even more quickly by using craft glue instead of sewing). This is crafting as a fun afternoon project, maybe to make with your kids or just to get a quick crafty fix and have a finished piece at the end of it instead of working for hours and hours doing detailed handstitching.

I love the rainbow felt scrap wreath on the front cover (maybe I should try something like that with my own felt scraps?), the colourful coasters made with rows of felt beads and the cupcake-style trinket pots.

There are projects that really make the most of the thickness of the felt, like these trinket boxes:

And others which you could easily adapt and make with ordinary craft felt, like this charming beehive sewing set:

My favourite project has to be the joyful gingerbread house, decorated with buttons and felt beads. This looks like it would be so much fun to make!

This book would be great for beginner crafters, people crafting with kids, anyone who likes their crafting to be quick and simple so they can squeeze it into a spare hour here and there... or someone who (like me!) has a whole bunch of felt beads and handmade felt that they don't know what to do with.

Please note: I was sent a free review copy of this
book. Blooming Felt are one of my current blog sponsors but I wasn't paid to write this review and am always honest in my book reviews! The Amazon &
Book Depository links in this post are affiliate links.

Like the others in the series it's a lovely hardback book with yummy matte paper pages and nice little details like these bicycles at the top of the pages...

Simple Knitting begins with some clear step by step photos showing the different knitting techniques used in the book - I love it when knitting books include photos like this, I find them so much easier to follow than illustrations. It would have been great to have an illustration or two for the bag that needs lining (especially as there is plenty of space on the page) but it's just one project. All the designs are labelled with a difficulty rating - starting out, going further and moving on.

Oh, and there are some some nice photos of yarn dotted throughout the book! Mmm... yarn...

The designs are divided into chapters by type: Wrap Up Warm (scarves), Heads You Win (hats and an earwarmer/headband), Fingers and Toes (gloves, mittens and slippers), Pretty Please (quick projects that are good to give as gifts, like little flower hair clips) and Carry Me (bags and purses plus a coffee cosy and a dog coat).

Ros introduces each project, chatting about her inspiration and
suggesting ways you can vary the design (by using different yarns, etc). Some of the designs are inspired by vintage patterns and consequently have a pretty, retro feel to them like this bow scarf:

None of the designs feel super-trendy, they're more what I'd call "modern classics". Practical and simple but without being boring or old-fashioned.

As with most knitting books there are lots of patterns that I'd never make for myself but which would be nice to knit as gifts, but I also found lots in here that I would keep for myself, including this knitted headband...

... this hat...

... and these mittens.

As a not-especially-skilled knitted I was also pleased to see a nice range of projects that look like something I could actually achieve! Woohoo!

This is not a book for fans of super-fashionable, ultra-trendy designs or for anyone after quirky or cute projects, but it is a book that successfully "does what it says on the tin": simple, stylish, quick-to-knit accessories.

As you might guess from the number of techniques squeezed into 6 pages this is not a super detailed guide to printing your own fabric but instead a basic introduction to some accessible techniques.

Then there are 4 pages of motifs - these do need to be enlarged, but it's great to be able to reproduce the exact designs shown in the book.

The bulk of the book is devoted to the bag-making, with 35 projects divided by the type of printing used to decorate the fabric: carved block printing, constructed block printing, resist printing, and other printing methods.

All the projects have step by step colour illustrations and there's a short guide to sewing techniques included at the back of the book. The projects are all helpfully marked with a skill level, and the guides are charmingly designed to match the print used for that particular bag. I love seeing nice touches like this in craft books!

Like the motifs, the bag templates do need enlarging (though without a page of pull-out patterns, which is a rare thing to find in a craft book, this is only to be expected when making large projects like bags). There are also a couple of designs included to scan in and print to make photo transfers.

Jenny's designs are so lovely, with mostly nature-inspired motifs but also some fun designs like a space invaders pattern for a kid's bag and a stylish cutlery design to print onto a cutlery roll.

As well as the cutlery roll there are a couple of other "non-bag" projects included - coin purses and a wallet - but most of the book is, as you'd expect from the title, all about bag-making. The designs cover a wide mix of shapes, from a bucket-handled shopper, to a messenger bag, to a diaper bag with lots of useful pockets:

I need to get to grips with my sewing machine (after years of just hand stitching) and I'll definitely be getting this book off the shelf when I do - maybe starting with this bag, which looks lovely and super-useful.

Handprint and make your own Bags is a nice, versatile craft book - a simple introduction to printing but also a useful sewing book with lots of bag and purse patterns. Seeing the great results from the simpler printing techniques is especially inspiring - "ooh, I could totally do that!" is a very good feeling to have when looking through a craft book.

Personally though I think I'd want a more detailed guide to the more complex/advanced printing techniques before I felt confident trying them, so maybe this book would be a good one to pair with a book dedicated to printing techniques so you can learn about the more complicated techniques in more detail then use your knowledge to make bags with your awesome printed fabric.

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Feel free to borrow a photo or two if you're blogging / Pinning / etc my projects but don't repost the tutorials or any templates or patterns. Please always credit me and link back to my blog. Thanks xx

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